Something is going on at Bike Friday. As much as I want to support a small US based business, every interaction I’ve had with them since 2014 has been more than disappointing. Sorry to hear that you’ve had the same experience.

This. I also end up hammering away on the wrench to loosen overzealously tightened pedals. But to be honest, I often screw up the direction and spend some precious minutes and watts tightening the pedal by accident. Which of course just makes my job harder. The plastic hammer is a great idea.

In December 2008, I vividly remember being stuck in Portland for five days due to a snowstorm. The city had absolutely no capacity to deal with snow and the cold set in instead of a thaw. My dad, after tracking down chains on his own epic adventure in Eugene, drove up and got us. It took over six hours to drive back to Eugene. The snow persisted until just south of a town (Salem?) on I-5, the interstate a rutted icescape. Somewhere, we lost a chain. And then, like magic, the snow ended. I’ve never seen such a clear demarcation between snow and greenery. It was like someone had taken a ruler to the weather.

Since that holiday, we have a firm agreement to never fly during the Christmas holidays.

The silver lining - that snow provided a lot of great photo OP's!

Can I "like" a picture like that? It makes for a nice abstract, though.

Of course it’s an IPA (the photo could have tipped you off there). And I’m much too clean-living to consume a huge, greasy hotdog - or a milk dud, for that matter.

For here it’s pretty exceptional - the biggest one day snowfall since 1943, before I was born. And thanks for the advice - we’ve got some bubble wrap I’ve been thinking of doing something useful with.

Wow! That's a lot of snow!

I am not sure of the availability of foam pool noodles in winter, but they are so awesome for packing bikes. You can use them to protect frame and forks and can also cut to protect fork ends. I also know someone who has cut them into lengths to help prevent suitcase crush for foldable bikes. One 'pillar' on its own won't work, but five or six apparently do.

Hope you are both feeling better soon and the weather improves in time for some farewell rides

I just looked it up. A Super Dog is an IPA--not the huge, greasy, hotdog I was envisioning.

What's a Super Dog? It sounds like one of those dangerous "foods" you spoke of.

Milk Duds! Such a dangerous ‘food’!

You’re right, either biking or walking would have been better, ordinarily. My ankle is still recovering and I’m coming down with Rachael’s cold (Grrr), so driving seemed more prudent. Best, of course, would be to have just stayed home.

Still, it was pretty nice having a Super Dog again!

I too have problems removing my pedals. And even if I'm the one that put them on, they often seem to have tightened up during my tour. I bought a lightweight plastic hammer at REI that I use it to pound on the immovable wrench/spanner. I store it in the bike bag and it's come in quite handy for not only loosening the pedal and but also venting my frustrations.

I think (no, I'm SURE) you would have been better off bundling up and riding your bike to McCormick & Schmidt's. Coincidentally, we had a big snowstorm here too, and I also had to go to the dentist. In my case, I had to get a crown glued back on after Milk Duds pulled it off at the movie theater.

A day full ("Dayfull"? Is that a thing?) of annoyances and irritations. Sorry 'bout that, but better days are a-comin'.

They never miss.